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Philippine Senate Lowers Votes to Convict VP Duterte
The court said only senator-judges able to participate will count, after 13 of 24 votes backed the change.
- On Wednesday, the Philippine Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, lowered the conviction threshold for Vice President Sara Duterte. The court ruled that only senator-judges able to participate in the trial should be counted toward the baseline.
- Presiding Officer Francis Chiz Escudero initiated the review following the prolonged absence of four senator-judges. Loren Legarda, Ronald Bato dela Rosa, Rodante Marcoleta, and Jinggoy Estrada are unable to vote due to medical leave, detention, or hiding from international arrest warrants.
- Senator-Judge Alan Peter Cayetano unsuccessfully argued the court lacked authority to interpret the threshold, but the body rejected his point of order with 13 affirmative votes. Retired Supreme Court justices served as "friends of the court" to guide the decision.
- Prosecutors now require 14 votes for a conviction, rather than the 16 previously needed when all 24 members were counted. A guilty verdict would result in a lifetime ban on politics for Duterte, ending her 2028 presidential aspirations.
- This impeachment trial follows a high-profile fallout between Duterte and President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr. With Duterte a frontrunner in early polls, the outcome remains critical to the 2028 presidential election she intends to contest.
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Senate ruling on conviction threshold: Who will not be allowed to vote?
MANILA, Philippines — With the Senate Impeachment Court ruling to lower the threshold needed to convict Vice President Sara Duterte, Presiding Officer Francis Escudero has laid down specific conditions on who will not be allowed to vote once they decide on the case. After the oral arguments on Wednesday, 13 senator-judges present voted to lower the number of votes required to convict Duterte. They also agreed that the denominator that will be us…
·Makati, Philippines (the)
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Total News Sources18
Leaning Left5Leaning Right6Center4Last UpdatedBias Distribution40% Right
Bias Distribution
- 40% of the sources lean Right
40% Right
L 33%
C 27%
R 40%
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